Exodus 38-40:16

The artisans continue to build the Dwelling for the ark of the commandments, as well as creating the vestments for Aaron and his sons. The emphasis throughout the passage is that in doing so, "the Israelites did the work just as the Lord had commanded Moses." Did an artisan from time to time ask himself, or a co-worker, "Why does the Lord want pomegranates and bells sewn at the bottom of the priestly vestments?" or "Why does the Lord want the breastpiece embroidered with gold thread and violet, purple, and scarlet yarn?" If they were anything like me, they surely did. Is that a bad thing? Moses certainly questions God at times, implores Him to change His Mind. Yes, the Lord's ways are inscrutable. But is it wrong for us to "scrute" occasionally and ask Him why? We are searching for truth in our lives and our minds won't rest until we find it. Many have said this in one way or another--St. Paul, St. Augustine, and St. Thomas Aquinas (his feast day was this week!) among many. And only in Jesus do we find the Way, the Truth, and the Life. So the search for truth, the "scruting", is a way in which we express that restlessness and try to find God, even if we don't always recognize it as such. That does not mean that, in the end, I don't (or I shouldn't) "do as the Lord commanded", but it does encourage me to seek out the truth and ask God questions when I don't understand, but want to.

Exodus 35:30-37:29

This is a rather uneventful interlude, where the artisans blessed by God with great talent build the Dwelling and its various elements according to the specifications God previously provided (and which are repeated in detail here). But one sentence grabbed my attention. The lead up: Moses recognizes that God has gifted two individuals, Bezalel and Oholiab with very special talents, and they will lead the work of building the sanctuary. And then this:

Moses then called Bezalel and Oholiab and all the other experts whom the Lord had endowed with skill, men whose hearts moved them to come and take part in the work.

There are times for sure when I recognize that my heart moves me to take part in something, to use my talents for others. I am sure there are many more times when God calls me or my heart tries to move me, and I don't hear, or don't want to. But how amazing and humbled I feel when my heart moves me to do something good. I also recognize, sometimes, that the work I do "at work" can provide the opportunity to give God glory, to do His work and His Will. Working hard, with integrity, using the talents He has given to me, gives Him glory and, yes, on occasion, even moves my heart. 

Exodus 33-35:29

This is an incredibly rich section of Exodus.  The Lord promises that Moses and the people will be led to a "land of milk and honey" in fulfillment of the covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Yet God tells Moses that He Himself will not accompany them, because they are such a "stiff-necked people" He might otherwise "exterminate them" along the way. I find that profoundly frightening. Yet Moses prevails upon God, Who seems to change His mind and agrees to accompany them. God attributes His change of mind to the fact that "you [Moses] have found favor with me and you are my intimate friend." Wow--how amazing to have God call you His intimate friend. And yet aren't we all called to that? I think so. But how do we get there? How do we make that highly personal journey? How can we have such a relationship with a God Who goes on to say "no man sees me and still lives"? The God Who  fears that He may exterminate His own people soon after tells Moses: The Lord, the Lord, a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger and rich in kindness and fidelity, continuing his kindness for a thousand generations, and forgiving wickedness and crime and sin".  Incredibly beautiful and comforting words, words that soothe me in the night when I consider how short I have fallen of what He wants me to be and do. But God continues to Moses: yet not declaring the guilty guiltless, but punishing children and grandchildren to the third and fourth generation for their fathers' wickedness. The first part of the quoted passage sounds like the crux of Christ's message, but I don't know what to make of the second. Is it an admonition that we are part of a community and have responsibilities to others--that our relationship with God cannot be purely "vertical"? Or are we meant to take it more literally? Is it a truth that only Christ's sacrifice can undo? 

Exodus 30-32

Ok, perhaps my favorite all-time movie is Raiders of the Lost Ark. Goofy, I know.  But when I would come home from college, I would often take my younger brothers to the movies. We had no idea what this would be about the day we went, and it had a cool title. We were blown away, and saw it many times together. Relevance? When I try to draw a mental picture of the very vivid descriptions in this section of Exodus, all my mind's eye can see is the scene in Raiders where Indiana Jones finds the ark of the covenant and carries it out of the cave, only to be thwarted at the last moment by the bad guys.

In this section, God establishes the annual atonement rite, and lays out the rules for cleansing the priests must abide by before approaching the altar. In the New Testament, we read the Christ is the law or the new law. The Magi presented him with frankincense at the Nativity scene. Here, God instructs Moses that the priests are to use frankincense to honor and consecrate the sacred altar and the Commandments that He has given to Moses for the people. God lays down the law of the Sabbath, calling it "an everlasting token" between God and HIs people, and then gives Moses the stone tablets containing the commandments "inscribed by God's own finger." 

Meanwhile, in Moses' absence, God's people have strayed, prevailing on Aaron to create a golden calf for them to worship. Much revelry ensues. (I guess we see here why God chose Aaron only to be Moses' spokesman with Pharaoh, but not to also have the responsibilities he entrusted Moses with.)  How quickly the Israelites have forgotten all of the wonders God has done for them. (Sounds familiar: I forget all the time to my regret, so I am in no position to judge them harshly.) God's anger is enflamed, and He contemplates wiping them out entirely and starting over with a "new" people for Moses to lead. But Moses reminds the Lord of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and God relents (at least for now). Moses returns to the people, and challenges them to choose whether or not to side with the Lord, Who brought them out of Egypt. The Levites choose the Lord. Moses then instructs them to take up the sword and kill all of their kinsmen and neighbors who have not made that same choice. Three thousand are slaughtered that day. Wow. Afterwards, the Lord tells Moses to go forth and lead His people, but adds "when it is time for me to punish, I will punish them for their sin."  Ominous. The Old Testament God is frightening to me at times. He remembers His promises for generations, but also the peoples' sins. I hope and pray He chooses not to remember mine. 

Exodus 28-29

God establishes the priesthood in the persons of Aaron and his sons. Much of this section is spent describing with great precision the vestments they shall wear and the rite of consecration that makes them priests of God. It is these priests who may enter the sanctuary that contains the ark and the altar, clearly serving as mediators in some fashion between God and His people. Although God explains that He will dwell in a special way at the altar and in the meeting tent, that explanation ends with a beautiful passage about God's relationship with all of His people:  

I will dwell in the midst of the Israelites and will be their God. They shall know that I, the Lord, am their God who brought them out of the land of Egypt so I, the Lord, their God, might dwell among them.

This seems to apply so clearly to us today, to me personally.  It is not enough for God that He is our God, He wants us to know it--to know that He has saved us and called us out of slavery. The wording is interesting here: He has called the Israelites (that is, us) out of Egypt (that is, out of slavery), so that He might dwell in our midst.  In other words, being called out of slavery is in some ways a pre-condition for that special type of dwelling among us that God has in mind.  Thus, each of us must be called out of slavery--whatever we are personally enslaved by--in order for Him to dwell in our midst.  I am sure He never leaves us, but we must clean the house, clear the path, make straight the way, allow ourselves to be brought out of slavery, so that He can fully dwell in our midst.  Powerful stuff.

Exodus 25:10-27:21

God provides very precise instructions for how the Ten Commandments are to be kept, " a sanctuary for me, that I may dwell in their midst."  The ark, the table, the lamp stand, the tent cloth, etc., are to be constructed with much gold, silver, bronze, and fine linen, among other precious elements. I understand this as a metaphor for how we are to receive and incorporate God and His message in our lives. We are precious; we are God's own creation. His Word, His Commandments and Laws, should dwell in our hearts. I take the ark itself as the symbol of our hearts, with its four gold rings reminding me of the heart's four chambers. This is not to say that we should be focused solely on adorning ourselves, so that the message buried inside ourselves is forgotten or overlooked. But rather to me it is an issue of honoring ourselves as His creation, and always remembering we are a dwelling place for His Word and message. This means, of course, that so too is every other person, and that necessitates that we treat others with the same reverence and honor with which we are called to treat ourselves.

Exodus 21:22-25:9

God continues to provide Moses with instructions and commands for how the Israelites should live. Criminal law, tort law, property law, personal injury law, and rules of social behavior. We find here the "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" language that is ingrained in our cultural lexicon, in the context of the punishment for fighting with a pregnant woman and causing her to be injured and to miscarry. But if she miscarried and is not otherwise injured, the punishment is only a fine in an amount to be determined by the injured woman's husband. Curious. Also in this passage we find the special admonition to treat widows and orphans well--another reference that is or at least was commonplace in our Anglo-American culture at one point. The Lord tells the Israelites that he will surely hear the cry of the widows and orphans. Going on, He instructs them to "keep away from anything dishonest." Surely outstanding advice, and I know I try in my life to keep a distance from people I feel or fear are not honest. As the passage ends, the Lord has called Moses to ascend Mt. Sinai where He is to give him the tablets containing the Ten Commandments and to instruct him to build the Ark. More on that in the next passage. But just before that, the Lord describes the rewards to come for the Israelites if they are faithful to Him. He says, "I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared." These words call to my mind the words Jesus speaks just before his Ascension, as He explains to His disciples that he is going ahead of them to prepare room for them in His Father's house. It also reminds me of Jesus' words in promising to send the Paraclete, the Holy Spirit, to help His disciples in the future.  

Exodus 18-21:21

The narrative tone shifts suddenly from "I, the Lord, am your healer" to "I, the Lord, your God, am a jealous God." It feels very much like God the Parent laying down rules for His children. I recognize that the Ten Commandments have a depth and resonance that has made them timeless guides, so I am not trying to diminish them, but I guess it is more the tone of the whole passage. God lays down rules and establishes boundaries--literally in some respects when He lays out the point beyond which the Hebrews many not venture near Mt. Sinai. He is very prescriptive, setting out His expectations for the way the Israelites must live in their new land. It is both literal and metaphorical as He establishes a new people, a new nation, in a new land. His expectations deal less with how the Israelites are to deal with God, and more about they will live with and treat each other. Similarly, I live out my love for God, my devotion to Him or lack of it, primarily in the way I treat others and myself, the way I treat the least of my brothers as it were. 

Exodus 14:21-17:16

Once the Israelites witness the destruction of Pharaoh's army, and their salvation from the Egyptians, they "feared the Lord and believed in him and in his servant Moses." It doesn't last long, as we'll see, as they grumble and question Moses seemingly whenever the going gets tough. But in the glow of the defeat of Pharaoh, they sing a beautiful song to the Lord, the first such song we find in the Bible. It is filled with words expressing God's awesomeness and power, His anger and wrath. But also this beautiful passage: "My strength and courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior." I find that very powerful, as it summarizes very well in just a few words what the Lord has been in my life. As the Israelites are led by the Lord and Moses further into the desert, they grumble and quarrel, forgetting quickly God's deliverance of them, and lacking trust in Him and in Moses. Nonetheless, the Lord feeds their hunger with manna from heaven for forty years, and slakes their thirst with water from the rock. He even protects them from an attacking enemy, Amalek, as Joshua leads them in triumphant battle. During the battle, as long as Moses keeps his hands raised (like Christ on the Cross?), the Israelites have the advantage and ultimately win the battle and are saved, delivered from their enemy. 

Exodus 12-14:20

The Lord establishes a ritual that proves the salvation of the Israelites, as the spreading of the lamb's blood over their doors saved them from the tenth plague. Passover. "You must celebrate this day throughout your generations as a perpetual institution." The feast plays a central role in the Passion of Christ many generations later. The tenth plague is horrifying to me. So many of the Egyptians must have been good, innocent people--and yet this catastrophe befell them because their leader was obstinate and did not honor God's request. Losing a child seems incomprehensible to me. The wailing that broke out across Egypt echoes in Pharaoh's ears, as he summons Moses and Aaron and demands that they and the Israelites leave Egypt. And so they fled Egypt. "It is with a strong hand that the Lord brought you away." God does guide us with a strong hand--yet why is it that so often i cannot discern His Will anywhere? A paradox, I guess, at least for me. When Pharaoh changes his mind and pursues the Israelites to the edge of the Red Sea, the Israelites begin to grumble to Moses and Aaron. But Moses answers them, "Fear not! Stand your ground, and you will see the victory the Lord will win for you today." I think God asks me to "fear not" often, and I should not be fearful because of the victory Jesus won for me.  

Exodus 8:16-11:10

The story of Moses continues with the remaining seven plagues brought on by Pharaoh's obstinate refusal to accede to God's request, communicated through Moses and Aaron, that the Israelites be allowed to leave Egypt to worship God. The pattern was so familiar from plague to plague that it started to get tiresome. Moses makes request; Pharaoh denies request;  Moses threatens plague; Pharaoh still denies request; plague comes; Pharaoh gives in; Moses ends plague; Pharaoh breaks promise. But then suddenly I saw myself in the Pharaoh. God shows me the way--through the Word, through the Church, through the love of those around me; I promise to walk more closely in the path He calls me to; I wander off or get distracted and forget my promise; I feel lost; rinse and repeat. It particularly hit home during the plague of darkness, when the Egyptians could see nothing, not even the people around them. Like me when I wander off from God and forget Him. Interesting that the darkness lasts three days, like the darkness the Earth was in when Jesus died and descended into Hell, before the Resurrection. By the way, isn't it a fascinating notion that Jesus descended into Hell? It is in the Apostle's Creed although not in the Nicene Creed that we recite at Mass. I am intrigued by that visit to Hell, by what it could have been like for Jesus, and what it was meant to accomplish. 

Exodus 5:10-8:15

Today I went with my wife to the Cloisters in New York City.  It is a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in a monastery building that was built in the 1930's based on elements of several medieval abbeys of Europe, and it is filled with beautiful medieval art, including altarpieces, triptychs, tapestries, reliquaries, etc.  

The Cloisters

But today's visit was to take in a performance of The Song of Daniel, a beautiful musical piece that I can only describe as part opera, part chant, part religious play. It dates back to somewhere in the late 13th or early 14th century, and seems to be an early ancestor of opera, as it is a drama, but completely sung. It recounts the story of Daniel in the lion's den, with a song stuck in the middle and another at the end celebrating the Nativity of Jesus.  It was wonderful, with music played on medieval instruments, and the singing was marvelous.  As for today's reading, we have an obstinate Pharaoh, doubting Israelite foremen, and a set of magicians who match Moses wonder-for-wonder until the plague of the gnats. After which those magicians tell Pharaoh that "this is finger of God." (Interestingly, it is the finger of God that writes on the wall in the story of Daniel that we saw today.)  I am struck by the conversations Moses has with God: they are numerous and Moses is constantly "protesting" to God about something God has instructed Moses to do. I find it curious and humorous, since God seems to have more patience with Moses than with others both before and after him. One last point, I spent some time in Venice with my family a few years ago, and we stayed very near Chiesa di San Moise (St. Moses Church). An Old Testament saint. Pretty cool.  












Chiesa di San Moise                                                        San Moise

Exodus 2:1-5:9

We turn now to the story of Charlton Heston Moses. It is difficult for me to read this story without picturing the movie version, The Ten Commandments, with Heston and Yul Brynner. I'll eventually figure out how to add photos to this blog, so I can include cool photos of people like Yul and Charlton hamming it up in their outsized roles--Moses and Pharaoh, respectively.  

Here (as in the movie, I guess), Moses strikes me as a real three dimensional man. He grows angry at injustice--indeed too angry for his own good--and kills a man, eventually requiring him to flee Egypt to Midian. He meets a girl, settles down, and tends the sheep of his father-in-law. But God has other sheep in mind for Moses. Like Jesus, Moses will become a shepherd of men and women. During his exile, the Israelites continue to suffer greatly in Egypt. "As their cry for release went up to God, He heard their groaning and was mindful of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." The Lord God speaks to Moses and commissions him to return to Egypt to rescue His people. Moses has doubts, is afraid, and thinks he is not up to the task--a real man.  But he must trust God, Who tells him "I will be with you." God gives Himself a name for Moses: "I am Who am" or Yahweh. (I have to confess that I don't understand why the Catholic Church has decided that we will no longer use the word "Yahweh", but I digress.)  Moses returns to Egypt and the Israelites are moved and inspired by Moses' message.  Pharaoh, however, is not, and he refuses to free the Israelites. Moses is joined by his brother, Aaron, and together they try to convince Pharaoh on this point. But he is obdurate. Instead, Pharaoh imposes even harsher work conditions on the Israelites, increasing their suffering. 

            

Genesis 48:8-50:26; Exodus 1

Nearing death, Israel blesses Joseph's sons, and makes them heirs to the covenant that God made with Abraham and Isaac. We see again the reference to fruitfulness--"that they may become teeming multitudes upon the earth." However, Israel purposefully lays his right hand on the younger son, Ephraim, rather than the elder, Manasseh, explaining that "his younger brother shall surpass him, and his descendants shall become a multitude of nations." Israel calls his sons together to forecast what is to come in the days ahead. Of note, he says of Judah that "the sons of your father shall bow down to you," and he says that Joseph shall be "the prince among his brothers." Joseph leads a great ceremony for Israel's funeral, after which Joseph's brothers became fearful that now Joseph will seek his revenge for the way they treated him in his youth. But Joseph has no such intention, but rather sees the hand of God in what has gone before: "Even though you meant harm to me, God meant it for good, to achieve his present end, the survival of many people. Therefore, have no fear." This so reminds me of Jesus and of the merciful God I believe in. If only I could be so forgiving and have such equanimity in my own life. Here ends the story of Joseph and of Genesis. Joseph and his descendants, the Hebrews, are indeed fruitful as the years pass, but they generate resentment and fear among the Egyptians, and especially the Pharaoh. He subjects them to cruel slavery and they endure much suffering. He orders that every Hebrew male child be killed by the Egyptian midwives who assist in their births. But out of fear for God the midwives tried not to obey the Pharaoh's command. 

Genesis 45:16-48:7

Joseph's story continues. He is reunited with his father, Israel, who is retrieved by some ofhis sons and brought to the land of Egypt. On the way, Israel has a dream in which God confirms to Israel that he should journey to Egypt, and reaffirms His covenant, telling him that "there [i.e., in Egypt] I will make you a great nation." Joseph rides out to meet his father, Israel, in a scene that reminds me of the parable of the Prodigal Son. Joseph exclaims, "At last I can die, now that I have seen for myself that Joseph is still alive", calling to mind the story of Simeon in the temple when Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to be presented at the temple. The story goes on to describe how Joseph is able to husband and then share all of the resources of Egypt to get its people through the famine, but in exchange they are forced to give up all their money and possessions, and eventually to hand themselves over as slaves to Pharaoh, in exchange for the food they need to live. At first I found this unsettling and distasteful even. But thinking more about it, doesn't Jesus ask us to give up our money and possessions and even our lives to follow Him? Perhaps not literally, but in our attachment to these things. 

Genesis 42:29-45:15

This is perhaps my favorite story in the Bible (of the ones I am familiar with today). I relish the interactions among the brothers, their individuality, and the strong emotions they feel and express. I have a sister and many brothers and I enjoy watching this drama unfold. I am moved that, at multiple points, Joseph is so overcome by emotion that he must excuse himself so that he may weep openly. He puts his brothers to the test, testing their honesty, their fealty, and their constancy. Happily, they pass the tests. Again, there are wonderful echoes of Christ here. (Ok, a detour: "echoes" is a strange word to use here, since, of course, Jesus lived long after Joseph. I have been resisting its use until now. But the fact is that I am reading the Old Testament through the prism of the New Testament--with the understanding that Jesus Christ, who lived and died and lives again, is the culmination, the fulfillment, of all that happened before. So, "echoes" seems appropriate in that context.) Anyway, we are reminded of Jesus when Judah offers to lay down his life as ransom for his brother, Benjamin, and when Joseph himself, seeing the hand of God in all that has happened, says, "God, therefore, sent me on ahead of you to ensure for you a remnant on earth and to save your lives in an extraordinary deliverance."  Is there a better description of what Christ is for me? For us? It also anticipates the words of consolation Jesus himself will say to his disciples before he ascends into Heaven.  

Genesis 40:9-42:28

It is hard for me to read the story of Joseph and his brothers without recalling the musical Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat. (I like corny musicals--sue me!) Andrew Lloyd Webber chose his inspiration well, as this is a wonderfully rich Bible story and absolutely one of my favorites. There are, to my mind, so many aspects of the story that foreshadow the life of Christ. Joseph's cell mates in prison are Pharaoh's cupbearer and baker whose dreams are of wine and bread--calling to mind the Last Supper and the body and blood of Christ. I also am reminded of the two criminals on Calvary, one of him is saved and the other of whom remains condemned. Not a perfect analogy, but if the entire Old Testament is part of the story of our salvation, which culminates in Christ, then I think it makes sense to recognize the foreshadowing aspects of these stories. Joseph is rescued from prison because of his ability to interpret dreams, and Pharaoh acknowledges that he is special: "Could we find another like him, a man so endowed with the spirit of God?" Joseph is very directly the means of Egypt's salvation: "In fact, all the world came to Joseph to obtain rations of grain (the body of Christ?), for famine had gripped the whole world." All the world including the sons of Israel, Joseph's brothers (all of them but Benjamin, whom Israel holds back out of fear that a fate similar to Joseph's might befall him). Joseph recognizes his brothers and puts them to the test. He is moved to tears in speaking with them, but hides it from them (as they do not recognize him), and he sends them back to their father with orders to bring Benjamin in return for the grain they seek.

Genesis 37:25-40:8

Very interesting how much foreshadowing of the events of Jesus' life we find in this passage about Joseph. He is betrayed by is brothers for twenty pieces of silver. His tunic plays a prominent role in the story, as it is used to receive Joseph's father into believing that his son is dead. jesus' tunic, of course, was the subject of gambling by the centurions at the foot of the cross. Like Jesus, Joseph is tempted--and like Jesus he passes the test. Joseph rises quickly from a captive sold to the Pharaoh's circle to a place of significant responsibility. And from this height he is cast into jail as a result of false accusations by his master's wife. But throughout it all, we are told, "the Lord remained with Joseph" and he Lord "brought success to all he did." Likewise, God is with us through all we experience, all we do, all we celebrate, and all we suffer.

Genesis 35-37:24

Jacob seeks to honor God by building an altar at Bethel, because He is "the God who answered me in my hour of distress, and who has been with me wherever I have gone." Trying to understand this Old Testament God has been very difficult for me at times, to this point. But this acknowledgement by Jacob is a very comforting concept for me.  God reiterates His promise of the covenant, this time to Jacon (now called Israel) that he will makes his descendants numerous, and God repeats his exhortation to "be fruitful and multiply." After Rachel dies, Israel retains home to his father, Isaac. Isaac, too, passes away at a very old age.  The focus of the story now shifts to Israel's favorite son, Joseph. What is it with these Old Testament parents and their habit of playing favorites.  As I mentioned in a previous post, I am a parent and this notion of having a favorite is completely foreign to me. Anyway, Joseph's older brothers grow to resent him--not surprisingly. They plot to kill Joseph, but one of his brothers, Reuben, intervenes and convinces them to, instead, throw Joseph down into a dry well.

Genesis 31:43-34:31

What a wonderful scene as Jacob and Esau meet and reconcile. Clearly, both men welcomed and were moved by the meeting and the opportunity to come together in love.  Esau is moved to tears, and Jacob says, "To come into your presence is for me like coming into the presence of God." Wow--powerful words. The notion that meeting, serving, praising, loving God, and being loved by and coming to know Him, comes through our encounters with other people, with His creation, is a new and powerful concept that threads its way all the way to and through the New Testament.  As a brother myself, I feel a strong loving attachment to my siblings.  This is a moving encounter for me to read about, and a welcome contrast from so much of the dysfunctional intrafamily dealings to this point.  

Genesis 30:1-31:42

I continue to struggle to understand the lessons meant to be imparted through dysfunctional family dynamics, multiple wives, impregnating maid servants, and deceiving/conniving in-laws.  But through it all, God is steadfast toward Jacob, the heir of the covenant.  He leads Jacob out of the land of his father-in-law and back to the land of his youth. Jacob acknowledges that "God saw my plight and the fruits of my toil, and last night he gave judgment." Jacob, though certainly flawed and far from perfect, nevertheless strove to act righteously, particularly towards his father-in-law, and in the end was rewarded by God for it. Without a doubt this is a comforting idea for someone like me who recognizes his own many and deep flaws, yet struggles to honor God and do the right thing each day.  

Genesis 27-29

The theme of family dysfunction continues as Jacob with the help of Rebekah outwits Esau and Isaac to secure Isaac's special blessing near the end of his life. Jacob's "deception"--his "ruse"--makes him heir to God's covenant.  Esau, for his part, will be forced "far from the fertile  earth" and will have to serve his brother.  On his way to find a wife, on Isaac's instructions, Jacob falls asleep and has the dream that provides the title for this blog. This stairway to heaven (no Led Zeppelin jokes, please) reminds me of something I read a long time ago in the writings of Teresa of Avila, and which I am sure to misquote to some degree here--but the gist was "every sin is but another step on the spiral staircase to God."  How comforting those words have been to me over the years. Here, God's messengers descend and ascend the staircase, which I take to mean they bring God's message to us (ultimately a message of salvation embodied in Christ) and then serve to guide us on the path back to Him. It is a path from this place, to which God banished Adam and Eve, up to heaven.  Jacob goes on to the dwelling of Laban, his mother's brother, where he is the victim of a deception himself.  He is tricked into marrying Laban's daughter, Leah, when it is her sister, Rachel whom he loves--loves so much that Jacob "burst into tears" the first time he kisses her. Laban's deception causes Jacob to have to stay an extra 7 years serving Laban. But as this section of the story ends, it is Leah who bears son after son in an effort to please Jacob and win his love, while Rachel remains barren.  

Genesis 24:28-26:35

The Lord God has a direct hand in ensuring that Isaac marries a woman who is very beautiful. A woman who, it seems, turns out to be perfect for him. Indeed, "in his love for her, Isaac found solace after the death of his mother, Sarah."  As a husband, I find it comforting to think that in this way God can work in our own lives, to help us find and choose a mate who can be a help and solace to us. In contrast, I am distressed by the reference, after the story of the birth of Esau and Jacob, to the fact that Isaac favored Esau and Rebekah favored Jacob. Really? As a father, it is incomprehensible to me to think that I would favor or love one of my children more than the other.  This does not resonate with me at all, and we can already feel the echoes of the Cain and Abel story. So far, Genesis is not filled with particularly good modeling for parents. Although Abraham has other children after Sarah dies, it is to Isaac that he leaves everything he owns. And God makes it clear that Isaac is the heir of the covenant God made with Abraham.  Finally, I find some comic relief in the story of Isaac and Rebekah visiting the king of the Philistines, Abimelech. This poor guy is again lied to, this time by Isaac, who tells him that Rebekah is actually Isaac's sister.  Just as Abraham had done years before.  And once again, Abimelech and his retinue nearly commit the grave sin of lying with a married man's wife.  Eventually, seeng how prosperous Isaac and his relatives have become, Abimilech sends him away.  

Genesis 21:22-24:27

As a younger man, I experienced the story of the sacrifice of Isaac from the perspective of Isaac.  I was afraid, horrified, traumatized by the story.  How could God have asked such a thing?  As a father, I experience it now from Abraham's perspective--but it no less horrifying. If the lesson is obedience to God above everything else, I am afraid I would disappoint. Could I see giving my own life for God?  I could conceive it.  But I cannot conceive taking my own child's life for anything--even God. What must Abraham have been thinking during that long three day journey by donkey to the place of sacrifice?  How filled with dread he must have been!  Two other quick points. There are many aspects of this story that foreshadow Christ's life and God the Father's sacrifice in giving us his Son. Perhaps the point of this story, for me at least, is to remind me what an awesome sacrifice that was.  Lastly, I love Abimelech's statement to Abraham: "God is with you in everything you do."  There are few other sentences that sum up the Christian life better than that. If only I could recognize His presence as I make my way through each day!

Genesis 18:9-21:21

There is a real intimacy and candor in the discussions between, on the one hand, Abraham, Sarah, and Lot, and, on the other hand, the Lord God and his angels in this section.  It is what one would expect in an authentic, loving relationship, but not what I associate with the so-called "Old Testament God." And yet, that honesty and intimacy is reflected over and over. God questions Abraham sharply about Sarah's skepticism. God rebukes, but does not punish, Sarah--not only because she dismissed the Lord's promise that she'd bear a child, but also because she then was less than honest with God about her original reaction. Abraham gently but directly challenges God as God lays out his plan for Sodom: "Will you sweep away the innocent with the guilty? . . . Should not the judge of all the world act with justice?" Yet the Lord God seems moved by the Abraham's challenge to, if not change his view, at least to acknowledge the depths of his mercy and justice. And the angels of God, for their part, change their plans to enter Sodom in the evening, at Lot's urging. The next morning they are moved by Lot's request that he not be forced to flee to the hills, since he believes he is too feeble to make it there with his family in time to avoid being destroyed along with Sodom--and they agree he need not flee that far to save themselves. These sorts of candid, honest, intimate discussions are what I wish for in my own life, and in particular in my personal relationship with God. It is eye-opening and reassuring at the same time to read it in these stories. A quick word on the story about Lot and his daughters in the cave: I have never understood it and I find it to be very strange and incomprehensible.  

Genesis 14:14-18:8

There are many echoes of what has already come, and what is to come, in this section of Genesis. Abram is the soldier, foreshadowing David, who rescues his nephew, Lot, from his captors. Melchizedek, the great priest of God Most High, prefiguring Jesus at the Last Supper, offers bread and wine to commemorate Abram's victory.  The great priest also blesses God the Most High, who delivered Abram's foes into Abram's hands--as God, through Jesus, delivers us from our enemy, sin. As with Noah, God promises Abram that he will have countless descendants, but instead of likening the number to particles of dust (as with Noah), God compares them to the multitude of stars on the sky. Abram fathers Ishmael, with Sarai's maid, and then God promises Abram that Sarai will bear him a son herself. As he did with Noah, God also makes a covenant with Abram, promising that He will be the God of Abram and his descendants forever--an "everlasting pact." This covenant is fulfilled in Christ.  As a sign of the covenant, God renames both Abram (Abraham) and Sarai (Sarah), and instructs Abraham that circumcision will be the human mark of the covenant. God then reiterates his promise that Sarah will bear him a son, who shall be called Isaac.

Genesis 11:10-14:13

Interesting that the fruitfulness theme comes up here early in the story of Abram. That his wife, Sarai, was barren allowed them to pose as brother and sister when they fled the famine in the land of Canaan for Egypt. Sarai, who was beautiful, was taken to live in Pharaoh's palace, and, as a result, "it went very well with Abram." He was able to accumulate many riches and possessions. Eventually, though, misfortune befell Pharaoh because (as he discovered) Sarai was actually Abram's wife. Pharaoh sent them both out of Egypt--with Abram's possessions. Abram and Lot, his nephew, ultimately had to part ways, as each of their possessions made the land too small for them to dwell together. Once Lot had departed, God made Abram a promise that Abram's descendants would be like the dust of the earth. God's meaning is that they would multiply and thrive to such an extent that they would be too great to be counted. Fruitfulness again--but also, a wonderful echo of Adam and Eve (formed from the earth).  

Genesis 8-11:9

As Noah and his sons and their wives disembark after the great flood, God exhorts them to be fruitful and multiply. Indeed, we are told that all the people's of the earth descend from them. God makes a covenant with them, a promise He has kept even to today.  A covenant remade and transformed in Jesus Christ. The Tower of Babel story has always gotten my attention. I was awed as a child by it, and generally find myself amused by it as an adult.  Although sadly it calls to mind the current US government scene.  

Genesis 4-7

Two stories make up today's reading--with a strange interlude in between. First, Cain and Abel. Cain's anger toward Abel arose because Cain was "crestfallen" that God had looked with favor on Abel's offering, but not on Cain's. It never struck me before that Cain's anger and the horrific act that followed were born out of Cain being unable to deal with God's disappointment. Worse than this disappointment for Cain, though, is the punishment that he receives for killing his brother. Being banished from God's presence is a punishment that Cain finds "too great to bear." I feel as if I disappoint God all the time, but he gives me the strength, I think, to somehow understand that He is all-merciful, and to keep going. I used to experience this story as a brother--as I am the oldest of 7 children, but now, as a parent, I am struck by what is not discussed:  Cain and Abel's relationships with their parents.  Bruce Springsteen wrote and recorded a song called Adam Raised a Cain, the theme of which is obvious from the title and which comes to mind in reading the story. 

As a parent, I see how each of my children is so different from the others, yet has certain traits and behaviors in common. How could Adam and Eve have raised both Abel and Cain? While each had the common urge to please God by making an offering, their actions certainly took them on different paths with tragic consequences for both of them. Anyway, let me briefly mention the second story, the story of the great flood, which I confess I have never found terribly compelling. It has never had the same resonance for me somehow as the stories of Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel do. I can't help but think of the old Bill Cosby routine that I listened to on vinyl when I was a kid (God: "Noah, this is God" . . . Noah: "Right!"). What a contrast for me between, on the one hand, the God who so regretted his creation that he wanted to wipe it out and start over, and, on the other hand, the loving, forgiving, merciful God who shines throughout the New Testament. One last thought: That interlude right before the story of the great flood is so strange! The sons of heaven mating with the daughters of the earth to create "the heroes of old, the men of renown." It seems to "Greek mythology" to me, and just randomly dropped in there.

Genesis 1-3

Is there any Bible story--any story at all--more often told, dissected, and interpreted than this one? Or better, these stories, as there are really several embedded in this opening of the Pentateuch. I am struck by the themes of abundance and fertility: The water "teems with an abundance of living creatures." The plants and trees across the earth are "seed-bearing." The animals, and the man and the woman, are exhorted to "be fruitful, multiply." Even as the man and woman are being cast out of Paradise, the talk is of child-bearing, the fruit of the trees, and the tilling of the land. They are cast out, but not cast away. God provides them "leather garments" to clothe and protect them as they are led east of Eden. To them, and to us, God has given a teeming creation, an Earth abundant with gifts, opportunities, talents, friends, family. It is for us, as for Adam and Eve, to till this creation, and co-create this world and ourselves with him.